Chair construction



April 29, 1930. F. F. FORTNEY CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Filed June '7, 1928 MMI M WWW v ATTORNEYS FRANK IF. FORTNEY, on nnnroan, 01:10,

be obviated.

Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITED STATES PA'r sic]:

ASSIGNOR TO THE B. L. MARBLE CHAIR COMPANY, OF BEDIEORD, OHIO, ACORPORATEON OF OHIO CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Application filed June 7, 1928.

This invention relates to a chair construction and is particularlyadapted for use in connection with chairs of the spring-back typecommonly used in oflices and other places.

In the spring-back type of chair, as is well known, the chair back isarranged to move ortilt relatively to the chair seat, the back beingheld in and returned to its normal position by a substantial springtension. Frequently the clothing or fingers of the occupant of the chairget inserted between the seat and the back when the latter has beenmoved or'tilted relative to the former, so that they are caught orpinched between these members when the chair back is returned to itsnormal position by the substantial spring tension, thereby eitherdamaging the clothing or inflicting painful injury to the fingers.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a constructionfor the springback type of chair wherein all, possibility of catchingthe clothing or pinching the fingers between the seat and chair backwill Another object is 'to provide in a chair of this type a seat andback so constructed and relatively arranged that during the returnmovement of the back to normalposition sit or having been opened the.fingers will be pushed out from between the seat and back.

Additional objects 'and advantages inherent in the construction willbecome apparent as the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment of the invention is set forth.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a springback chairembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan of the chair seat and a horizontal section of theback taken on line 33 of Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 3, showing one of the backposts in the open position.

'The'invention is applicable to any chair construction wherein the chairback is capable of movement relative to the chair seat, so that theparticular arrangement or structure Serial No. 283,498.

of the mechanism for accomplishing this purpose is immaterial so far asthe invention is concerned. Therefore, the description of this part ofthe embodiment illustrated will be general in character, since itscharacteristics are well understood in the art.

Briefly, the chair shown in the drawing comprises a base formed of fourdownwardly andoutwardly extending or radiating legs- 10, which aresecured at their upper ends to a common member 11 including aninteriorly threaded vertical bushing having an annular.

flange 12 at its upper end overlying the tops of the legs. Suitablecasters 13 are remov ably orotherwise secured to the lowerends x of thelegs 10 so that the chair may be readily moved about, as is commonpractice. It

should be here understood that the chair base nally threaded downwardlyextending screw 17 is suitably connected to the brackets and is adaptedto fit the internally threaded bushing of the base and to be screwedinwardlyor outwardly of the same by the nut or collar 18 to Vary theheight of the chair, all of which is well understood.

The chair back in the present instance comprises the substantiallyvertical post members 19 which extend below the chair seat and thesubstantially horizontal members 20 and 21 connecting the verticalmembers at their upper ends and intermediate'theirends, such horizontalmembers in turn being connected by spaced Vertical slats 22. Of course,the chair back is suitably curved or formed to most advantageously andcomfortably fit the back of the occupant of the chair, as is usual inchair constructions. V

As already mentioned,'the vertical post members 19 extend below'thechair seat on each side of the rear edge thereof, such extendingportions of these members being secured to a transversely extendinghorizontal supporting bar 23 which is operatively associated with amovablespring tensioned member 24. If desirable, means, indicatedgenerally at 25, may be provided for effecting an initial angularadjustment of the seat back.

The spring tensioned member 2a is prefer-- ably'inthe general nature ofa bell crank pivotally connected at the'j unction of its arms to thesupporting member 15, the longer of its arms being connected to the bar23 while the shorter arm 26 extends downwardly and is provided with anopening through which a screw rod 27 passes. This rod is threaded into aportion of the brackets 16 at its inner end while its outer end isprovided with a flanged sleeve 28 having a hand wheel 29. A spring30'surrounds the rod between the arm 26 of the bell crank and the flangeof the sleeve, so that when the hand wheel 29 is rotated the springtension may be increased or diminished. So far the description hasrelated to a conventional construction and it is because of such factthat it has been briefly stated.

However, suflicient structure has been described to indicate the mannerin which the chair'back is movably arranged under spring tensionrelative to the chair seat. V

Heretofore in chairs of this type it has frequently happened that theoccupant of the chair has placed his hands or fingers between the rearedge of the chair seat and the back when the latter has been moved outof its obviate thesedisadvantages guards of Va isfactory.

rious forms have been employed, all of which,

however, are unsightly and otherwise unsat V Heretofore, attempts toeliminate these disadvantages have been made by recessing the seatedge'adyacent to the back and thereby prov ding a clearance; but, inorder to maintain the chair seat and .backin theproper relationship theclearance has been"insufiicient at some point for the purpose desired.

' Therefore the present invention contem lates the effective eliminationof these disadvantages wit ioutc hanging the relationship of the seatand back. The edge or periphery of the chair seat is provided withrecesses 81 adjacent therear of theseat at approximately the pointswhere the chair back or chair "backposts are normally in close contacttherewith, the seat edge ofthese recesses being of a peculiar contourand cooperating with the seat back or back posts insuch'manner, that notonly is it impossible to insert. the fingers the substantial curve ofthe seat edge.

at any point where they may be pinched but also the movement of the backto normal position will push or cam the fingers to a safe position Inorder to obtain this result the edge of the seat defining the recessesis formed at its forward portion in a substantial curve while at itsrearward portion it is formed on a lesser curve, and the seat back orback posts 19 are so arranged that their front faces 32 are at such anangle to the seat edge of the recesses that they will serve or actinconj unction-with the seat edge as a cam during the forward movement ofthe posts to push the fingers into,

a safe position. Since the corner edges 33 of the back posts, which areadjacent to the seat edge along the lesser curve of the recesses, arepositioned so close to such edge that it is impossible to insert thefingers fully there between, it is apparent that forward movement of theback will cause the front faces 32 of the posts to' cam or'push thefingers along the seat edge until they are in the large clearance zone-betweenthe front'faces and Fig. 4 of the drawing the normal and theopen positionsof the chair back posts 19 are clearly shown, and it isevident that thefin gers cannot at any time be placed in a position tobe pinched since the forward move? ment of the posts always push theminto the safe position, while at the same time, because of the closenessof the corner edge 33 of the posts and the edge of the'seat, the proper2 relationship maintained. 7

Although a preferredembodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed," it should be understood that the same isnot'limited theretobut is susceptible of such variabetiween the se'at'and back is tions andmodifications as fall'withinthe scope of the appended claims. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

post portions normally 'lying adjacent the a 1. A chair construction ofthe type described comprising. a seat member, and aback member adaptedto be movably associated therewith under spring tension and having edgesofthe seat so that theseat and'back are in the proper relativepositions, said seat being provided with recesses adjacent the postportions, and said post portions being disposed so that a substantialclearancespace is provided between-the edges of the recesses and thefront face of eachpost portion when the edges of the recesses and thefront face of each post portion being so arranged "asto the seat andback are in'the normal position,

cooperate to effect a cam actionduring fora ward movement of the back tonormal position, whereby the fingers of the chair-"occupant will bepushed intothe said clearance 7 Q.

space.

2. A scribed comprising a seathaving as edges chair construction ofthetype de T recessed adjacent the rear of the seat and substantially onopposite sides thereof, and a back movably associated under springtention with said seat, said back having post portions normally lyingpartly within said recesses, said post portions being so disposed that asubstantial clearance space is provided between the front face of eachpost portion and the edge of the adjacent recess while the inner forwardcorner of each post portion is closely adjacent the seat edge so thatthe fingers of the chair occupant can not be placed therebetween, theedges of the recesses and the front face of each'post portion being soarranged as to cooperate to effect a cam action during forward movementof the back to normal position, whereby the fingers of the chairoccupant will be pushed into the said clearance space.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

FRANK F. FORTNEY.

